50 best London websites

The internet is a global phenomenon, defying geography and scoffing at national boundaries. So it might seem odd to peer solely at the capital through our browser windows, but, trust us, the city looks sensational viewed on the small screen. Clearly, this very site is the font of indispensable London knowledge – but here we present 50 other corkers, all of them useful and entertaining, all of them devoted entirely to the Big Smoke. Go on, log on to London!

Blogs

www.london-underground.blogspot.com

The best blogs have a tinge of obsession about them, and Annie Mole’s site delves deep in its coverage of all things tube-related. There’s a comprehensive list of links to other London Underground sites, including www.talkonthetube.com which aims to get conversations going on all London lines.

Check out

The ‘Guess Where Tube Quiz’, as submitted by Annie’s fellow enthusiast Ian D. It’s just pictures of stations with the names obscured but is a great office time-waster.

www.diamondgeezer.blogspot.com

We have to declare an interest here: Diamond Geezer has written for TO on several occasions. But that’s because, in our opinion, he’s London’s most interesting blogger. Posting since 2002, he’s the online successor to the likes of John Betjeman, via Peter Ackroyd, though his recent ‘Seaside Postcard’ series could be a sign that his attention is drifting away from the capital.

Check out

pigeonblog.wordpress.com

The concept of writing a blog in the guise of a pigeon is original, and good for a quick laugh – keeping the thing updated with regular posts for three years takes a strange kind of genius.

Check out

The ‘A pigeon that looks like’ section. Stare at the Britney Spears pigeon for long enough and you’ll convince yourself the bird’s a dead ringer.

www.londoncabby.blogspot.com

A black-cab driver’s blog that wins points for its sheer detail on everything from obnoxious fares to the mechanical upkeep of the classic London taxi. The anonymity of the author makes for a (sometimes brutally) honest snapshot of the trade.

Check out

www.route79.org/journal

In the author’s own words: ‘From
London. By a British, European, second-generation Indian. Probably
confused – but proud to be them all! Half of my journey to and from
work is a 20- to 30-minute bus ride: London bus route 79 – between
Alperton in west London and Kingsbury in north-west London.’ If he
proves anything, it’s that bus rides are always good for daydreaming,
digression and philisophical musings.

Check out

The slightly unrelated list of recipes, which reflect the author’s ethnic make-up – featuring everything from pakoras to lamb hot-pot.

www.beastsoflondon.blogspot.com

From
mussels in the Thames to black leopards in Bexley, keep a check of the
unlikely creatures that visit our capital. Make this your first stop to
report a sighting of your own (even if it is just your garden hose
mistaken for a python).

Check out

The archives will tell you all about the wild inhabitants of our city’s recent past.

www.sub-urban.com

This
one is run by Jondoe and Stoop, two adventurous Londoners who have to
keep their identities under wraps given that their exploits frequently
test the boundaries of the law. They specialise in exploring
underground complexes (storm drains, tunnels, sewers) and derelict
buildings, posting photos and text about what they've found. They’ve
expanded throughout the UK in recent years, but their London
explorations were their first (and, dare we say it, best).

We have to declare an interest here: Diamond Geezer has written for TO on several occasions. But that’s because, in our opinion, he’s London’s most interesting blogger. Posting since 2002, he’s the online successor to the likes of John Betjeman, via Peter Ackroyd, though his recent ‘Seaside Postcard’ series could be a sign that his attention is drifting away from the capital. The Geezer’s ‘Seven Ages of Blog’, which best demonstrates his online savvy. With reviews from a panel of testers, your first (and most important) meal of the day need never be a disappointment again. Egon Toast’s review of Alpino in Islington: ‘The beans, soggy scourge of the newly buttered slice of toast, were husbanded expertly by flanks of mushroom.’The concept of writing a blog in the guise of a pigeon is original, and good for a quick laugh – keeping the thing updated with regular posts for three years takes a strange kind of genius. The ‘A pigeon that looks like’ section. Stare at the Britney Spears pigeon for long enough and you’ll convince yourself the bird’s a dead ringer. A black-cab driver’s blog that wins points for its sheer detail on everything from obnoxious fares to the mechanical upkeep of the classic London taxi. The anonymity of the author makes for a (sometimes brutally) honest snapshot of the trade. The photos of how bad a state certain inebriated passengers have left the cab in, which are a sobering reminder of why drivers are reluctant to pick you up after the work Christmas party. Slipping around the city on his two wheels, camera at the ready, Mr Onionbag captures the fascinating details of life in south London in a way that epitomises blogging at its best. The excellent set of Lomo photos (casual, colourful snapshots of London). This collaborative photo blog invites visitors to send in their snaps of specific areas of London, and aims to showcase the diversity of the city (particularly its little-known patches). The gallery of images for Cork Street, W1, is typically eclectic – stylised black-and-white shots next to reportage and beautifully observed details. In the author’s own words: ‘From
London. By a British, European, second-generation Indian. Probably
confused – but proud to be them all! Half of my journey to and from
work is a 20- to 30-minute bus ride: London bus route 79 – between
Alperton in west London and Kingsbury in north-west London.’ If he
proves anything, it’s that bus rides are always good for daydreaming,
digression and philisophical musings. The slightly unrelated list of recipes, which reflect the author’s ethnic make-up – featuring everything from pakoras to lamb hot-pot. From
mussels in the Thames to black leopards in Bexley, keep a check of the
unlikely creatures that visit our capital. Make this your first stop to
report a sighting of your own (even if it is just your garden hose
mistaken for a python). The archives will tell you all about the wild inhabitants of our city’s recent past.This
one is run by Jondoe and Stoop, two adventurous Londoners who have to
keep their identities under wraps given that their exploits frequently
test the boundaries of the law. They specialise in exploring
underground complexes (storm drains, tunnels, sewers) and derelict
buildings, posting photos and text about what they've found. They’ve
expanded throughout the UK in recent years, but their London
explorations were their first (and, dare we say it, best). Their forays into the River Fleet, not least because they once took Time Out’s Peter Watts along with them and he nearly drowned. Blogs | History | Going out | Shopping and services | Communities

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